Interviewing a Star



Objective(s) & Context

1. Share some information about the participants with the group.

2. Have fun while getting to know each other.

 

Duration

30 minutes

Add about 2 minutes per participant during the “sharing” in Part 2, if the group is larger.

 

Group Size

20–30

 

Age Group

12 +

Skills

Group sharing, Building effective group dynamics

 

Format(s) & Technique(s)

Role-playing, pair work, large-group discussion, writing skills, communication skills

 

Materials

One photocopy of the Interviewing a Star: Reference Sheet per participant
Flipchart

Markers

Pens or pencils

 

Facilitation Tips

  • Participants are to gather all of the answers for the questions provided in the Interviewing a Star: Reference Sheet as they can.

  • When you pair up participants, try to pick people that don’t already know each other.

  • Let participants know they do not have to answer any questions that make them feel uncomfortable.

  • Remind the participants to have fun while they’re answering the interview questions; they are welcome to act like “journalists” and “stars.”

  • As facilitator, try to highlight the connections among the participants based on their answers. You are welcome to flip chart their answers in point form while they are being presented to help with this process.

 

Popular Education Prompts

  • This activity allows the participants to get to know each other in a deeper way.

  • The chance to get to know each other is an important building block for moving forward as a group.

  • It offers an opportunity to play and have fun together, which cannot be underestimated when building a strong group dynamic.

 

Leading the Activity: Steps to Take

 

Preparation:

  1. There are two parts to this activity.

  2. Have copies of the Interviewing a Star: Reference Sheet to hand out.

 

Workshop: Part 1 – Pairs (10 minutes)

  1. Hand out copies of the Interviewing a Star: Reference Sheet to each participant.

  2. Pair up the participants. Don’t pair participants that are sitting next to each other, as they may already know each other.

  3. Explain to the participants that there are two roles. The first role is a “journalist,” the second role is a “star.”

  4. Explain to the participants that they will each get the chance to role-play “the journalist” and “the star.”

  5. Ask participants to decide between them who will be the journalist and who will be the star.

  6. Invite participants to play a role and act as a “star,” but to provide real answers, not pretend ones, when answering the questions from the “journalist,” because this activity is about having fun while getting to know each other.

  7. Once they have decided on their roles, review the questions with them on the Interviewing a Star: Reference Sheet.

  8. Ask them to complete the questions on the Interviewing a Star: Reference Sheet. Once the first “star” has answered all the questions, tell them to switch roles.

 

Workshop: Part 2 – Group Meeting (30 minutes)

1. When the interviews are complete, have each participant introduce their partner by sharing their answers.

2. Invite the participants to sit in a circle.

3. Ask each person in the pair to introduce the “star” they interviewed by sharing the answers to three or four of the questions asked. Suggest that they begin with question one or two and continue from there.

 

Debrief

  • Ask the group if they learned anything new about other people in the group.

  • Ask the group what their impressions were of the workshop.

 

Success Indicators

Participants are:

  • Talking and laughing with the group

  • Communicating well together

  • Sharing more about themselves with the group

 

Source: Adapted from the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Gender Specific Resource Manual: http://www.ncdjjdp.org/community_programs/gsm/career/interview.html